Print Preview vs. Printer Output - I Lose

[FinishRich2025]

Why does my Print Preview look fine, but when it prints on the printer
(or PDF) it is not correct?

I am using columns so in preview it shows 6 nicely spaced detail
sections (actually questions on a test), but when it prints, it puts a
lot of space after the question and only puts 4 detail sections (so
more pages, more copies).

This is frustrating.

I am using a routine to place the individual text boxes and OLE boxes
in exact places based on whether there are graphics, text, or both. I
run this "formatting" routine in the Detail_Format, which does provide
a good layout in Print Preview.... however...

Thoughts, help?

Thanks,
Tim

 

[John Spencer]

Are you previewing and then printing?

If so, what happens if you print directly without any preview?

John Spencer
Access MVP 2002-2005, 2007-2010
The Hilltop Institute
University of Maryland Baltimore County

 

[FinishRich2025]

It happens even when I print the report without previewing.

I found out that my reformat routine wasn't reseting the object sizes
back to normal before the next detail was ran, so I made a quick
routine to do that. Although that minimized the difference, I can
still see a difference.

I am ok with that for now. I wish I knew how to run the routine no
matter whether I am previewing it or printing it... oh, well. maybe
next time

Thanks,
Tim

 

[James A. Fortune]

I am ok with that for now.  I wish I knew how to run the routine no
matter whether I am previewing it or printing it...  oh, well.  maybe
next time

The Print Preview section in a book by Rod Stephens gives hints and
sample code for rolling your own Print Preview. That would allow you
to see what you're going to get.

Visual Basic Graphics Programming : Hands-on Applications and Advanced
Color Development
Second Edition
Wiley 1999
ISBN 0-471-35599-2

A newer edition of the material can be found here:

http://www.wiley.com/legacy/compbooks/stephens/vbgp.htm

but I don't know if it contains the Print Preview sample code from the
Second Edition or not.

I often print out reports that have no groupings or a single grouping
directly to a PDF file using my own routines and my own functions for
text justification. PDF files are good at giving you pretty much the
same output as you see on the screen, assuming you haven't
accidentally chosen some strange printer preference in, say, Adobe
Reader .

James A. Fortune
(e-mail address removed)